Suspect in teen's disappearances says he's being harassed

You must enter the characters with black color that stand out from the other characters

Scotland Neck, N.C. — A Scotland Neck man whom detectives are calling a suspect in a local girl's disappearance more than a year ago says Halifax County sheriff's investigators have been harassing him

The claim comes two days after Dwayne Davis says investigators busted through the door of his home Wednesday to carry out a search warrant related to more than a dozen 911 calls originating from or around his address.

Search warrants made available Thursday indicate that the cellphone calls, from someone who appears to be trying to impersonate a female caller, started in June 2010, in the area where Dwayne Davis lives at 235 Cemetery Road.

Jalesa Reynolds disappeared Feb. 22, 2010, and investigators traced her Internet activity from a local library to a home on Cemetery Road.

"These calls have originated after Mr. Davis became a suspect in a case where a female juvenile is missing from the Scotland Neck area and is known to have been in the presence of Mr. Davis prior to her disappearance," the search warrant's affidavit says.

The document doesn't name Reynolds, but police said Friday that there are no other girls in Scotland Neck who have been reported missing.

Davis, a registered sex offender who says he served eight years in prison after a 1993 second-degree rape conviction, said Friday that Reynolds visited his house once to look at his horses and to use his computer but that he does not know what happened to her.

"All I know is I did not do anything to this young lady," he said. "Just because of your record from the past, it doesn't make you a person that does something to hurt anybody. If you ask anybody about me who knows me, they know I'm a kind, loving, warm-hearted person."

He says he believes someone is playing on the phone to try to get authorities to go to his house.

In their latest search, authorities seized eight cellphones, which Davis says were old and out of service.

He is upset and claims that investigators not only forced their way into his home before he could answer it but that they also had guns drawn on him and tried to make him get on the floor.

"I actually have pictures where they put handcuffs on me so tight (that) my arms was red."

A spokesman for the Halifax County Sheriff's Office said that investigators carrying out the search warrant acted appropriately in the situation, but he declined to comment further, saying it would be inappropriate to do so.

Reynolds' mother, Bernice Reynolds, did not want to talk about Davis Friday, but she said she would like anyone who might know what happened to her daughter to come forward.

"If that was their child, they would want the same thing," she said. "It's been hard. I just want closure."

Davis says he feels badly for the Reynolds family.

"She was a nice young lady," he said.

"I feel bad, you know, because everybody thinks I had something to do with this lady's disappearance," he added. "I didn't."

hmmmmmAug 15, 2011

The guilty can be loudest when they are trying to cover up their actions. She WAS last seen in his home, and there is generally fire in the vicinity of smoke. But he does have one thing going for him, the 911 calls appear to be someone trying to impersonate a girl....

RM24Aug 12, 2011

If he is guilty they need to put him away forever. And spirit warror woman he said she used his computer. However if he is innoncent then leave him alone. I expect if he was guilty he would stay quiet? Just my thought. Whoevers pranking those calls knows what happened to the girl I bet also.

RB aka Spirit Warrior WomanAug 12, 2011

If this guy were smart, with his past and all the evidence mounting against him, he'd quietly fade into the background instead of loudly mouth off to the media.

But then if he were smart, he wouldn't have had to register as a sex offender in the past.

Praying for the girl and those who love her.

dontstopnowAug 12, 2011

registered sex offender huh? And he is crying foul??? I have to laugh at his boldness going to the media. If he did have anything to do with this girl's disappearance, I hope they bury him UNDER the jail this time!

Rebelyell55Aug 12, 2011

That's a long time to be missing, but God works in mysteris ways. The truth will come out.

RB aka Spirit Warrior WomanAug 12, 2011

The cops have proof the teen (or someone acting as her) accessed her internet accounts from his computer at his home.

If she did it, how'd she do it without him knowing?

It's his house and his computer??

The cops know what they're doing. It's only a matter of time. Am praying it's a SHORT time.

Praying too for those who love this child.

anonemooseAug 12, 2011

uncrulez, I WAS THINKING THE EXACT SAME THING.

thepeopleschampAug 12, 2011

So pretty much he is whining that police are looking for a missing girl.

uncrulezAug 12, 2011

He doth protest too much, methinks.

ifuaintscaredAug 12, 2011

"I feel bad, you know, because everybody thinks I had something to do with this lady's disappearance," -- Apparently for good reasons.